Press release:
United Memorial Medical Center announced that it has received AABB accreditation for Transfusion Activities (Blood Bank Services). The accreditation is valid for two years. Formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks, the AABB is an international not-for-profit accrediting association.
This accreditation, the highest any blood bank or transfusion service can achieve, is not usually pursued by smaller, rural hospitals. To meet the rigorous requirements of the AABB, United Memorial reworked all policies and procedures related to Transfusion Activities and worked closely with nursing units and the medical staff.
Accreditation follows an intensive on-site assessment by specially trained AABB assessors and establishes that the level of technical and administrative performance within the facility meets or exceeds the standards set by AABB. By successfully meeting the requirements, United Memorial joins other facilities located throughout the United States and around the world that also have earned AABB Accreditation.
“The AABB’s Accreditation procedures are voluntary,” Mark C. Schoell, CEO of United Memorial explained. “United Memorial sought AABB Accreditation because this program assists hospitals in achieving excellence by promoting a level of professional and technical expertise that contributes to quality performance and patient safety.”
AABB’s Accreditation Program contributes to the quality and safety of collecting, processing, testing, distributing and administering blood and cellular therapy products. The Accreditation Program assesses the quality and operational systems in place within a facility. The basis for assessment is compliance with AABB standards, Code of Federal Regulations and other federal guidance documents.
The AABB Accreditation program has been recognized by the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua). In June 1995, AABB was granted “deemed status” as an accrediting organization under the clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA ’88) program. This granting of “deemed status” indicates that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid program (CMS) has found the AABB accreditation process to provide reasonable assurance that the facilities accredited by it meet or exceed the conditions required by federal law and regulations.
